Brooklyn Nets rookie Egor Demin has yet to take the floor this preseason while recovering from a plantar fascia tear. However, the No. 8 pick's return is on the horizon as the regular season approaches.
Demin participated in five-on-five scrimmages last week during the Nets' trip to China. His status for Friday's preseason finale against the Toronto Raptors remains up in the air. However, his participation in scrimmages is an encouraging sign regarding his availability for Brooklyn's Oct. 22 regular-season opener against the Charlotte Hornets.
Egor Demin nearing return to Nets lineup as regular season approaches
Nets General Manager Sean Marks said at Media Day that the Nets “have no concerns” about Demin missing regular-season games. Meanwhile, Demin said the injury, which cropped up after his four appearances at Summer League in late July, was “not a big deal.”
Demin is Brooklyn's projected starting point guard entering the season. The 19-year-old averaged 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists on 41.2 percent shooting from the field and 27.3 percent from three across 33 appearances last season at BYU. He averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 40.6 percent shooting from the field and 43.5 percent from three over four appearances at Summer League.
With the Russian floor general sidelined, Ben Saraf and Nolan Traore have each started preseason games at point guard. Saraf has outplayed Traore thus far. The Israeli floor general dished out 11 assists with just three turnovers in 22 minutes during Sunday's 111-109 win over the Phoenix Suns in Macao. Meanwhile, Traore posted four turnovers with three assists in 17 minutes.
It remains to be seen whether Demin will be on a minutes restriction upon his return. If that's the case, Saraf is the favorite to start early this season.
